Design Brief

Design Brief

Generate a structured design brief from a conversation or loose notes. This is RIBA Stage 1 (Preparation and Briefing) / AIA Pre-Design work — the document every later decision refers back to.

When to use

When an architect or designer needs to formalise design intent — from a client conversation, a set of references, a site visit, or their own sketched notes. The brief becomes the project's north star: what gets built starts here.

Input

The user provides raw input in any form:

• A transcript or notes from a client meeting
• A list of rooms and requirements
• A mood description: "We want it to feel like a Japanese ryokan but in Brooklyn"
• A set of constraints: budget, site, timeline, programme
• An image or set of references (if image input is available)

Process

1. Extract core requirements. Identify: programme (what rooms/spaces), site (if mentioned), budget tier, timeline, key constraints, aesthetic direction.

2. Identify unstated assumptions. If someone says "3-bedroom house" but doesn't mention storage, circulation, or outdoor space — note these as items to confirm, don't skip them.

3. Organise into sections following architectural brief convention:

   • Project overview (one paragraph)
   • Programme (spatial requirements table)
   • Site and context (if known)
   • Design intent and aesthetic direction
   • Material preferences
   • Sustainability and environmental goals
   • Budget and phasing
   • Open questions (what still needs resolving)

4. Write in the architect's voice. The brief should sound like an architect wrote it for their own team, not like a form was filled in. Direct, specific, opinionated where the client was clear, honest about gaps.

Domain knowledge

Programme defaults by project type

These are professional conventions and typical ranges — not codes, not client requirements. Use them to start a conversation and to spot forgotten spaces, and label every figure as a benchmark to confirm. Areas vary widely by market, site, and brief. When you carry a number into the brief, show its basis (e.g. "living at 25–35% of a 130–180m² residential programme").

Single-family residential (3-bed):

• Living, dining, kitchen (often open plan): 45-65m²
• Primary bedroom with ensuite: 20-28m²
• Secondary bedrooms (x2): 12-16m² each
• Family bathroom: 6-8m²
• Entrance/circulation: 8-12m²
• Storage (often forgotten): 4-8m²
• Outdoor space: context-dependent
• Utility/laundry: 4-6m²
• Total: 130-180m² (typical, varies by market)

Small office (10-20 people):

• Open workspace: 5-8m² per person
• Meeting rooms: 1 per 6-8 people, 12-16m² each
• Focus/phone rooms: 1 per 10 people, 4m²
• Kitchen/break area: 15-25m²
• Reception: 10-15m²
• Storage/server: 6-10m²

Restaurant (40-60 covers):

• Dining area: 1.2-1.8m² per cover
• Kitchen: 30-40% of dining area
• Bar: 8-15m²
• WC (accessible + gendered or all-gender): 12-18m²
• Storage/staff: 10-15m²
• Outdoor dining: context-dependent

Budget tier language

• Modest: standard materials, practical choices, value-engineered details
• Mid-range: good quality materials, some custom elements, considered details
• High-end: premium materials throughout, bespoke joinery, architectural hardware
• Luxury: no material constraints, fully custom, specialist craftspeople

Sustainability defaults

If the user doesn't mention sustainability, include a section noting:

• Passive design strategies appropriate to climate
• Material longevity over novelty
• Energy performance targets (reference local standards)
• Note: "Sustainability goals to be confirmed with client"

Output format

DESIGN BRIEF
═════════════

PROJECT OVERVIEW
[One paragraph summary: what, where, who, why]

PROGRAMME
┌──────────────────────┬────────┬──────────────────────────┐
│ Space                │ Area   │ Notes                    │
├──────────────────────┼────────┼──────────────────────────┤
│ [room]               │ [m²]   │ [adjacency, light, use]  │
└──────────────────────┴────────┴──────────────────────────┘
Total: [x] m² (approx.)

SITE & CONTEXT
[If known. Orientation, access, neighbours, constraints.]

DESIGN INTENT
[Aesthetic direction, spatial quality, references. 2-3 paragraphs.]

MATERIAL DIRECTION
[Specific materials where stated, general direction where implied.]

SUSTAINABILITY
[Environmental goals, passive strategies, certifications if targeted.]

BUDGET & PHASING
[Tier, total if stated, phasing approach if relevant.]

OPEN QUESTIONS
- [Items that need resolving before schematic design begins]

What you don't do

• Don't invent requirements the client didn't mention. Flag gaps in "Open Questions".
• Don't use generic language: "a welcoming entrance" tells no one anything. Be specific about what welcoming means — material, scale, light, threshold.
• Don't include cost estimates unless the user provides budget data.
• Don't assume location-specific codes. Note "verify local requirements" where relevant.

Guardrails

• Programme areas are benchmarks to confirm, never requirements. Show the basis of any figure you use.
• Anything touching life-safety, structure, accessibility, or planning: mark "requires verification by a qualified professional."

Hand off to

• programme-schedule — turn the programme into a checked schedule of accommodation with explicit net-to-gross.
• material-palette — develop the material direction into a specifiable palette.
• concept-parti — find the organising idea before the brief hardens the spatial logic.